Bernard mcginty



(No Model.)

BIMQGINTY. FILE FOR NEWSPAPERS, BILLS, LETTERS, &c. No. 555,289. Patented Feb, 25, 1896..

1 5- gQ fl Mme? v NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

BERNARD MCGINTY, OF DOYLESTOWN, PENNSYLVANIA.

FILE FOR NEWSPAPERS, BILLS, LETTERS, 81,0.

SPEGIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 555,289, dated February 25, 1896.

Application filed October 26, 1895. Serial No. 567,033. (No model.)

To (0% whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, BERNARD MOGINTY, a citizen of the United States,residing at Doylestown, in the county of Bucks and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Files for Newspapers, Bills, Letters, 810.; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to files for newspapers, bills, letters, and other papers; and it has for one of its objects to provide such a file adapted to receive and hold a number of papers in a neat and convenient form for ready reference, and one adapted to bind or secure any desired number of such papers together, and also adapted to permit of the papers being readily removed before or after they are connected together, as desired.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be fully understood from the following description and claims when taken in connection with the annexed drawings, in which Figure 1 is a perspective view of my improved file complete and ready for operation. Fig. 2 is a transverse section taken through one of the hinge-j oints with a part of the frame broken away. Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail sectional view taken in a plane at right angles to Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a file of papers bound or fastened together through the medium of my improvements. Fig. 5 is an enlarged perspective view of one of the fasteners or binders removed. Fig. 6 is a similar view showing the opposite side of the fastener or binder, and Fig. 7 is a view showing the blank of metal for forming the fasteners.

Referring by letter to said drawings, A indicates the base or frame, which is here shown as composed of a bar or strip a, of metal or other suitable material, a parallel bar 5 of similar material, and metallic arms or strips 0, connecting the respective bars at suitable intervals. I do not, however, wish to confine myself to the employment of the bar I), for although this bar is desirable for the purpose of strength and durability, yet it may in some cases be dispensed with, and where 'tegral part of said arms.

desirable the base A may be formed of a single plate, and I reserve the right to make such change in the construction.

B indicates a clamp. This clamp is shown as composed of the longitudinal bar or strip (I, designed to press upon the bar or strip 12 with the papers interposed, and arms 6, which connect the clamping-bar with the arms 0 in a hinged manner, and are preferably of the angular form shown for a purpose presently described. This clamp is designed to be spring-backed, so as to exert a pressure upon the papers placed in the file or over the needles thereof, as will be presently described. As a convenient construction, I provide the arms 0 of the base A with springs g, which will exert a pressure at suitable points upon the clamp.

0 indicates lug-journals which may be secured to the outer opposite edges of the arms 0, or when the bar a is employed these lugs may be secured to said bar a in line with the sides of the arms 0, or the lugs may be an in- These lugs are pierced at a suitable point to receive a pintle, bolt 27 or the like, suitably secured in position. The arms 6 of the clamp B are journaled on the pintles orbolts "i, and said arms are formed at their hinged ends with short angular branches j, and in advance of said branches are lugs having the journal-apertures Z, which receive the pintle, bolt, or rod 'i. The springs g extend beyond the frame of the hinged pintles, so as to exert an upward pressure upon the angular branches j of the arms 6, and when said arms are raised the springs will exert a similar pressure upon the fiat outer sides on of said branches j. By this construction it will be seen that when the clamp has been raised the springs, pressing against the flat side m of the arms e, will tend to hold the clamp in an open position, while when the clamp is let down the springs will continue to exert a pressure upon the ends of said branches, so as to hold the clamp yieldingly in a closed position. This form of spring and joint is the preferred construction but I am aware that other forms of spring might be used and the construction of the joint altered without departing from this fea ture of my invention.

D indicates the perforators of the file, there being but three shown in the present illustration, although it is obvious that a greater or less number may be employed, according to the length or size of the file. These perforators D rise from the bar I) at the outer ends of the arms 0, or from any other suitable points of the base A, and have their free ends pointed, as shown, to enable them to take through the papers placed on file.

The clamp B is provided with apertures r to receive the perforators D, and is also provided with notches s to receive the gages t of the base against which the edges of the papers are placed, as shown in Fig. 2, so as to insure evenness of the file.

F indicates a number of newspapers or other papers placed on the file, and G indicates the fasteners or binders for binding and holding the papers together in book-like form after they have been removed from the file. These fasteners G comprise a tubular body portion u to admit of them being placed upon the perforators D, as shown, and the lower and upper ends 1: e, which are designed and adapted to be bent down upon the papers so as to hold them upon the fastener and together in a compact booklike form, as shown in Fig. 4 of the drawings. The said fasteners G may be formed in any suitable manner, but I prefer, for the sake of economy in manufacture, to form them each from a blank of light sheet metal, such as shown. in Fig. 7 of the drawings. This blank, as will be observed, is of an elongated rectangular form and has its ends bifurcated, as indicated by w, and it is formed into the improved fasteners G by bending it into a tubular form with its longitudinal edges meeting, as shown in Fig. 6 of the drawings. In this way it will be seen that the fasteners G may be very easily and cheaply made, and that they are especially designed for the purposes of my invention, since they may be readily placed upon the perforators D. The fasteners G are also advantageous, since being round they are not likely to tear through the papers, and when desired strings may be run through them to hang a completed file up. The file is provided with a hook H or the like, by which it may be conveniently held on a finger, and a hook I is also preferably provided on the clamp B to facilitate the raising or opening of the same.

In the practical operation of the device the keeper portions c of the fasteners G at one end thereof are bent at right angles to the body portion and the fasteners are placed on the perforators D with the bent portions e against the base A, as shown in Fig. l. The clamp 13 being first raised, the papers, with their folded edges against the gages 25, are placed over the perforators so that the sheets may be turned as the leaves of a book, and the clamp is let down over the perforators so as to press the papers on the perforators and fasteners G and against the base A. After a desired number of the papers have been placed on the file and it is desired to remove them, I simply bend the upper end portions 1; of the fasteners G down upon the papers and then lift the papers, which are compactly bound or fastened together by the fasteners G, off of the file. In this way it will be perceived that the papers may be quickly and easily bound in the form of a book at slight expense, and it will also be seen that when one file of papers has been completed new fasteners may be placed on the perforators and a new file commenced.

The upper ends of the fasteners G are preferably beveled, as better shown in Fig. 8, so as to enable the papers to readily take into the fasteners when forced downwardly by the clamp 13. By reason of the arms 6 of the clamp B being of the angular form shown it will be seen that they are adapted to form a support for the file when laid upon a table or the like and that when the file is rested on said arms there is no danger of it being casually opened.

It will also be perceived that by virtue of their peculiar form the arms 6 form convenient hand-grasps, by which the operator may quickly and easily raise the clamp B, and it will be further perceived that when the clamp is let down on the base said arms 6 will rest over and cover the pointed ends of the perforators and will protect the pointed ends of the same, and will prevent said pointed ends from pricking the hands or catching into the clothing of a person handling the file.

Having described my invention, what I claim is- 1. The newspaper-file comprising the frame composed of the bar or strip having arms secured thereto and extending laterally therefrom, the perforators connected with and rising from the arms, fasteners or binders removably placed on said perforators and com.- prising a tubular portion and end portions adapted to be bent outwardly to hold papers on the tubular portion, the lug-journals connected to and rising from the arms of the frame at the sides thereof, springs carried by said arms of the frame, and the clamp having arms formed at their hinged ends with angular branches adapted to be engaged by the springs, and in advance of said branches with lugs having journal-apertures, pintles taking through the apertures of said lugs and the lug-journals of the frame, and the bar connecting the several arms of the clamp and having apertures adapted to receive the perforators and the fasteners or binders, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. The newspaper-file comprising the frame composed of the bar or strip (1, arms secured thereto and extending laterally therefrom,the bar 1?, connecting said arms at the outer ends thereof, and the lug-journals 0, connected with the arms, and rising from opposite sides of said arms, the springs carried by the arms of the frame, the gages connected to and rising from the end arms, and the clamp composed of the angular arms e, formed at their hinged ends with angular branches adapted to be engaged by the springs and in advance of said branches with lugs having journalapertures, pintles taking through the apertures of said lugs and the lug-journals of the frame, and the bar connecting the outer ends of the several clamp-arms and having apertures adapted to receive the perforators and gages of the frame, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

3. A file comprising a base or frame, a perforator rising therefrom, and a spring-pressed clamp connected in'a hinged mannerwith the base; the said clamp being so formed that it is adapted to press papers against the base and rest over and cover the perforator, substantially as specified.

4. A file comprising a base or frame, a perforator rising therefrom, and a spring-pressed clamp connected in a hinged manner with the base and having an angular arm provided with an angular perforated branch at its end adapted to receive the perforator of the base; the said arm being adapted to press papers against the base and being also adapted to rest over and cover the perforator, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

5. A file comprising a base or frame, perforators rising therefrom, fasteners or binders removably placed on said perforators and comprising a tubularportion and end portions adapted to be bent outwardly to hold papers on the tubular portion, a clamp having angular arms connected at an intermediate point of their length in a hinged manner with the base or frame and having angular, perforated branches at their free ends adapted to receive the perforators of the base, and flat springs carried by the base and extending beneath the connected ends of the arms, substantially as specified.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

BERNARD MOGINTY. lVitnesses PAUL H. APPLEBAOH, \VM. STUOKERT. 

